Taking Back Troy
by Michi n Mandah
Summary: Astyanax isn't a baby anymore. He's still quite small, and he decided that he was going to take back Troy. Of course, he isn't aware of what he may find along the way (By Michi)
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I own no one except for Amara.  
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_**Losing So Much, Gaining So Little**_  
  
**Chapter I: Introduction**  
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I looked up at the sky as the sun fell. It looked like a never ending rainbow, mixed with orange, red, yellow, purple, and blue. It was a beautiful sight, but as my mother cradled me in her arms and I looked back down at the ground, all I could see was my father's body being dragged off by chariot, ropes tied around his ankles. I didn't understand what had happened then, but by the tears in my mother's eyes, I knew it wasn't good. I started crying, because I was upset my mother was so sad. She rocked me softly, singing me a little lullaby. I didn't go to sleep, but I did stop crying. I wasn't too sure what my mother was saying to me, but I know those words well. "Shh, Astyanax.. it's alright. Daddy's going to come home, and everything will be better." My mother knew she was lying to me, but it made me feel happy.  
  
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Mother had gone to the market place, so I was with Aunt Helen. My cousin, Amara, and I were playing for a little while, but she decided to go to sleep. I laid down too, closing my eyes, pretending to sleep. I heard Aunt Helen crying, but I kept my eyes closed, even though I wanted to open them badly. I finally figured it out, she missed Uncle Paris. I missed Uncle Paris too, but I especially missed my father.. even if I didn't know him that well. I frowned, standing up and walking over to her. She placed her arms around me, pulling me close. "You miss Uncle Paris, don't you..?" I asked her, speaking softly as to not awaken Amara. She showed me a sad smile.  
  
"Yes, and I miss your father, too," she told me. I thought she was going to say more, but her voice just trailed off.  
  
"Is it hard? You know, to raise a baby alone?" She only gave another sad smile. Her eyes were pink and puffy, probably from crying.  
  
"Sometimes it feels like..we've lost so much, and yet gained so little.. and it's all my fault." I heard her say, and I shook my head, hugging my aunt.  
  
"No. It's not all your fault!" I shouted, waking up Amara. She looked around, dazed and confused. I heard her mumbling to herself, lying back down and pulling the fur blanket over her head. Aunt Helen looked at the ground, as if to tell me I was wrong..it was all her fault.  
  
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My mother came back, what seemed to be days later, but I knew it was only hours. Amara had decided to take an extremely long nap, so I spent most of my time playing with the ivory lion my father had carved for me when I was a baby, listening to the stories Aunt Helen told me of my father. I looked out the window. The sun was beginning to set, and it reminded me of that day. I gave a slight shudder as she stepped through the door. She walked over to me and picked me up, looking at Aunt Helen. My mother could tell Aunt Helen was sad, I could see it clearly. She simply smiled. I held onto my lion, as if my life depended on it, as my mother carried me back to the room.  
  
"You know, I can just walk with you." I told her.  
  
"But I want to carry you."  
  
"Um, okay, it's not far though."  
  
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I realize this was short, but if I get enough encouraging reviews, I will continue it. I'm not sure why I wrote it, I do love Troy, but I don't know. I've never read the Iliad though, but whatever. The movie was great though, and the actors did an awesome job.


	2. Like Father, Like Son

**Losing So Much, Gaining So Little  
  
Chapter II: Like Father, Like Son**  
  
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Amara and I were out in the gardens. She was sitting on a bench, picking flowers, watching me practice archery. I was firing at little hay men with targets on them. I got bullseye a lot of times, and I figured that I got my Uncle Paris' gift with the bow. Amara would smile and clap and throw flowers, only the ones that were too small to fit into her flower crown. I decided I would keep practicing until she was done. It was my responsibility to look after her for now, since our mothers were in a meeting.  
  
I was caught off guard when I heard a high-pitched scream that seemed to have been somewhat far away. It didn't sound like anyone I knew. The arrow turned back around as it fell from my loss of aim, and it nearly poked my arm out. I gathered my arrows, stuffing them into my quiver, and running to Amara. By my good fortune, Amara had finished her crown of flowers, so I wouldn't be ruining anything for her. I picked her up, running back into the building, fast as I could. I didn't make any sound, and it gave Amara a clue to be quiet, too. I think it did, anyway, because she didn't say anything. I brought her back to the room I shared with my mother, quickly poking my head out from the window. Perhaps it was a false alarm, because no one seemed to be rushing to their rooms. I slid down the wall on my back, heaving out a sigh. "You panic too much." I heard my cousin's familiar voice speak up from the bed. I leaned backward, my head resting on the wall, my eyes closed.  
  
"No, I don't. It doesn't hurt to be a bit cautious." I let out a small yawn, looking back over to my cousin. She looked quite cute in her white dress and flower crown. I didn't know if it was gross to say my cousin was cute, but I didn't mean it like that. "You look pretty, you know."  
  
"Thaaaaank yooou." She somewhat sang. Amara was always so cheerful, she never seemed to ever have a problem. Then again, when you're five years old, I guess you don't have a lot to worry about. I wasn't much older, though. I'm only seven. I looked at the ivory lion sitting on the table and smiled. That was all I had from my father, except for his sword. I stood back up, leaning on the windowsill, sighing. As I looked far to the left, I could see my home. I frowned. It belonged to the Greeks now. I didn't frown because I was sad, I frowned because I was angry. I began pounding on the walls with my fists, and I think I was scaring Amara, because she looked at me funny. I fell to the ground, curled my knees up, and rested my folded arms on my knees, burying my face to cry from frustration.  
  
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I sat on the mattress, listening to my mother telling me stories of my father. She had told me how he so bravely killed Menelaus when he was trying to kill Uncle Paris, and how he challenged Achilles instead of cowering behind the walls. I realized how much of a hero my father was, and I looked over to the small stand, holding my armor. I wore it to get the feel, since soon I would have to start wearing it a lot, and then I remembered: that was real armor. I placed it on over my clothes. The breastplate felt cold, even through my shirt, and I realized how long it had been since I wore it. My mother smiled to me. "What are you doing, Astyanax?" She said, giving a small giggle, tilting her head in question.  
  
"I'm just trying this armor on again. It makes me feel like I'm Dad, a brave warrior, risking my life for my country," I said with pride. I didn't realize my voice trailed off a bit, but I removed the armor, realizing I would have to do something. "Mother.. I am going to Troy." She only smiled.  
  
"You are in Troy, my dear child," she said to me.  
  
"No. I mean, the real Troy. I'm taking it back." I knew it was awfully risky, and I would probably get scared, but I wanted to be known. I wanted to be a brave warrior, just like my father. My mother looked at me as if I was insane.  
  
"No! You are not going to Troy to get it back from the Greeks! I am not going to lose someone else I care about, Astyanax!" She shouted at me. I glared at her.  
  
"You don't think I can do it? You don't think I can be brave?"  
  
"That's not it! You are simply too young! Those Greeks..they are fearsome warriors. They do not care if you are a mere child or not, they will rip you to shreds!" I nearly started crying again from frustration, the salty water stinging at my eyes. I refused to cry. No, you wouldn't get tears out of me.  
  
"I think you're lying to me! Just like you did that one day when Dad died!" I turned my back at her, my arms folded over my chest. I was still wearing all of my armor, so I could make a run for it at any moment. She looked at me confused, I noticed it when I looked back.  
  
"I thought your father honestly wasn't dead. I was so upset that I went into denial. I'm sorry for lying to you--" I don't think she ever got to finish, because I started talking much too quickly.  
  
"No! Stop! You lied! You said Daddy would always come home, he'd always be right by my side, but you LIED!" I shouted, placing my father's sword in the sheath hole, grabbing my bow and arrow. I leapt for the window, tears nearly pouring down my cheeks like the waves of the ocean. My mother tried to grab me, but I was too quick. I heard her scream my name, I heard her crying, but I didn't stop. I didn't know what made me keep going, but I didn't stop.  
  
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Thanks to** Kcrane** for being my first reviewer. Please, tell me what you think! 


	3. The Return to Troy

**_Losing So Much, Gaining So Little_  
  
Chapter III: The Return to Troy**  
  
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I looked around, desperate to find something cover myself with. Finally, I found that one thing. Right now I was wandering, trying to find my way back to Troy. How was I going to get it? It was a brown cloak, with a hood. It would be disgustingly hot, but it would cover my face. It was a little shop on the side, for those who were travelling long distances and needed it. The owner turned around, and I swiped the cloak, running off as fast as I could. I don't think that _dumb_ merchant even noticed.  
  
I was just outside of Troy's gates. I slipped on the cloak, pulling the hood up. I pulled my sword out, slid it through the gate opening, and returned it to it's hiding spot. I lightly pushed open the gate door, sliding it closed behind me. I looked up to the two towers on each side of the gate. "This new king has bad service." I mumbled to myself. The hood protected my face, and that was good, because it was possible for someone to recognize me.  
  
I just walked through the markets, as if nothing was wrong, and I could feel sweat through my curly brown hair. I ignored it and kept walking. No one bothered me; based on my height, they probably thought I was just a wandering kid. Or a short customer, since everyone was bothering me about buying their stuff. I looked up and saw the palace. A devious grin crawled across my face, I could feel it. I snuck around until I got inside.  
  
I continued this stealthy form of walking, being quiet as possible. All I had to do was kill the king, and if he had any children..them. Then Troy would be ours again. This mission was going to be much easier than I thought. Well, that was what I figured, but I didn't realize I was so wrong.  
  
When I heard footsteps from close behind me, I quickly darted behind the corner, holding my breath, my back pressed against the wall. I couldn't be discovered, I simply couldn't. When I saw the figure coming towards me, I realized it was a priestess. A priestess would not hurt me, and that was good. She simply walked by, as if I didn't even exist. Good, I didn't want to be noticed. I kept walking, but then I froze. At the end of this hallway, there was two seperate pathways to go down. I didn't know which to pick.   
  
I suddenly heard footsteps. I thought that they would just walk by, as if I was invisible, but I was wrong. It was a guard, and he was about to attack me. I pulled my sword out quickly. Our swords clanked together once until I drove it through his stomach, ending the battle. I wished our swords hadn't hit, for then there wouldn't have been much noise. Three more guards came in from one of the fork paths.  
  
I ran as fast as I could for my life. One of them charged forward and got in front of me. I took two steps backward, my eyes darting around quickly. He pulled his sword out, but before he could do anything, I slit his throat. Blood gurgled out of his mouth and he fell backward, dead. Suddenly, I felt a cold chain on my neck. They had captured me. The chain pulled back, and I dropped to the ground. They rolled me onto my stomach, tying my hands behind my back.  
  
They dragged me to the throne room. I carefully memorized the way here, just in case. I turned away from the king. He was a tall man, white hairs visible in his brown hair and beard. He was also fairly large. He probably ate a lot, being a king and all. He leaned forward in his throne, taking a look at me. He studied my face for a moment, and I just glared. "What is your name, boy?" He said. He was speaking softly, but it still sounded a bit loud to my sensitive ears.  
  
"Astyanax, son of Hector." I glared at him, my dark eyes making him shudder. I did look a lot like my father, or at least, that's what everyone said. He let out a gasp, his eyes went wide and he placed his hands over his mouth.  
  
"What do you want us to do with him?" One of the soldiers grunted out. The king shook his head. I was scared. He would surely want to kill me, or at least.. that was what I thought.  
  
"Just throw him in the dungeon for now." The two soldiers nodded and dragged me off. I struggled a lot, and so they hit me on the head. I fell unconscious, so the job would be easier for them. When I woke up, I was in a cell, my arms tied above my head, and I was scared.

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	4. Jail Break

Losing So Much, Gaining So Little  
  
Chapter IV: Jail Break  
  
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I was extremely uncomfortable, and my arms were getting sore. I had to keep my left leg straight, for I'd discovered my sword was still in it's secret sheath. I gave a yawn. This was boring, but I couldn't do anything. I just realized something that scared me more than when the guards were attacking me. I was probably going to die at dawn. So what did I do? I started remembering this I wish I had remembered before I had gotten here.  
  
Flashback  
  
It was last year. I was six years old, and Uncle Paris was about to leave to get Troy back, just like I had tried. Aunt Helen was holding a four-year-old Amara, whom was crying. Aunt Helen had a few tears in her eyes, too. Uncle Paris was saying how he needed to get their country back, for it was his fault that they lost it.  
  
I was grabbing his hands, sobbing. I was shouting "Don't go, Uncle Paris! Don't go!" Then my mother put her arms around me and pulled me away. Paris ruffled my hair, smiling a sad smile, like my mother. I think he knew he wasn't going to come back, and if so..he was right. That was when we never saw him again.  
  
He waved us goodbye and began walking off. His quiver was slinged over his shoulder, holding multiple arrows and his bow. A sword was in his sheath. It wasn't the Sword of Troy, this much I knew. He was wearing his armor, and it was extremely detailed. I never really understood what it all meant.  
  
He just kept walking, and we all just stood there, crying. That was the last time I saw Uncle Paris. Even when his figure disappeared out of sight, we just stood there. We were frozen like stones.  
  
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End Flashback  
  
I fell asleep. It took me awhile, but I was trying to. I didn't have anything else to do anyways. I could feel myself attempting to toss and turn. I was thankful I had the cloak, the dungeon was freezing, even in the hot weather. My chains rattled together as I squirmed, trying to get my hands free. They were too tight, and I couldn't sleep with my hands above my head. They could have at least chained them at my sides or something.  
  
I let out a yawn, and my eyes fluttered shut. I didn't get to sleep right away, but it happened. I was exhausted, so I guess it wasn't so hard to get to sleep.  
  
My dream was just terrible. I could hear the chains rattling, so I must have been attempting to toss and turn a lot. I was being beaten with chains, nearly screaming in pain. All the Trojans were there, crying -- especially my mother. The Greeks were howling with laughter. Finally, they began to just stab me with their swords, until one finally drove it through my stomach and pulled it out and I gurgled blood through my mouth, then died.  
  
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I woke up in a cold sweat. I was breathing hard, looking around with my blue eyes. It was all just a bad dream, I reminded myself, yawning. I heard a guard groaning in pain. Then it stopped, and I heard a body hit the floor. Was someone here? Was it a killer? Was I going to die?  
  
These thoughts of panic rushed through my head. I would prefer knowing who my killer was. I heard the door unlocking, and my eyes jolted over there. The person had a hood. I closed my eyes, scared. Suddenly, I heard the chains around my wrists being unlocked, then the ones around my ankles. I think the person thought I was asleep, for he carefully picked me up. He pulled the cloak hood over my head. What was this person doing?  
  
I felt him running out of the palace, being swift and silent. I opened one eye, but he didn't seem to notice. The face looked so familar, but I didn't think it could be the same person. I thought I was just imagining things. I closed my eyes, and now fell into a comfortable sleep. It was night, and the wind was brisk. He kept running, and didn't stop until we were away from Troy. By this point I was fully awake, looking around confused. Even his voice sounded familiar...  
  
"Are you alright?" He said, looking down at me. I nodded, and he smiled, pulling his hood down. My eyes widened as much as they could. There was no way.. was it really Uncle Paris!? "Astyanax? Are you alright?" His voice was just like Paris', his face the same.. and how else would he know my name? My eyes lit up with happiness.  
  
"Uncle Paris..is it really you?" I know it hadn't been that long, but I did sort of like hearing a familiar voice, seeing a familiar face, hearing my own voice. He smiled.  
  
"I'm glad you remember me. Now, what were you doing in Troy?"  
  
"I was trying to get it back, like you did. I thought maybe.. maybe I would find you, and I was right." His smile got bigger and he ruffled my hair, like he did the day he left.  
  
"You need a lot more training to do that." That was the last thing he said. Then I fell asleep, again. I was sleeping a lot that day, and I wasn't sure why, but I really liked sleeping at the time.  
  
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I hope you like this next chapter, and I hope it cleared up a lot of questions. Please, R&R.   
  
-Prince of Troy 


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